This invention relates to an air metering valve which is part of an automobile carburetor system. The most usual automotive carburetors have butterfly valves regulating the air flow and utilizing a venturi to meter the fuel to the air stream. With the increasing emission standards, it becomes increasingly important to accurately control the air/fuel mixture going to the engine. The present air metering valve is designed to control the amount of air being by-passed to the engine to control the amount of air/fuel mixture at idle speed and higher speeds in accordance with the oxygen content as sensed in the exhaust. The actual relationship to the carburetor is unimportant. It is sufficient to understand that this air flow control valve must accurately regulate flow in response to a variable electrical input signal.
The control system generates a control signal of variable current strength or a modulated current pulse which is applied to an electromagnetic linear hybrid actuator which positions the present sleeve valve.